Stargazer
by Avistone
Summary: Tracking a group of smugglers to the Planet Terran, the Crew of the Enterprise find themselves with more trouble than they bargained for. However, sometimes help an come from the most unlikely of places... Bones/OC
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

---Kirk---

_Something's not right. _

He could tell right off that something was amiss, but his disoriented mind was sluggish- unwilling to fully release him to consciousness. James T. Kirk struggled, unsuccessfully at first, to open his eyes. They were heavy, as if weighted with lead, much like the rest of his aching body. His body urged him to slip back into the sweet grips of darkness. Why was he awake anyways? Ah! There it was again- a small tickle on his arm.

Gathering all the energy he could muster, he batted blindly at his arm, banishing the crawling offender to the other side of the room. He was fairly certain that he didn't want to know what it was that had been crawling on him.

Jim finally managed to open his eyes and squinted up into the darkness. All was quiet, except for the sound of water dripping off in the distance. He began to shiver slightly, feeling the effects of the damp, slimy floor seeping into his uniform and right on down to his very core.

Blinking some more, his eyes began to adjust to the dark room. He became aware of a dim light emanating somewhere off to his left casting a soft bluish light into the heavy shadows of the room. Turning his head, he found the light source filtering through some bars on the far side of the room. Some time had past before his thoughts started to come together as he took in his surroundings.

He was in a cell… that's right. They had been captured! Jim jerked his head to the right to look for his companions. Bad idea! The room began spinning; a wave of nausea hit him causing him to promptly share the left- over's of his lunch onto the floor beside him.

After, a few moments the nausea passed and he every so slowly opened his eyes. Across the room from him he saw the unconscious forms of his chief engineering officer and chief medical officer. Alarmed at their stillness, he pushed himself up onto his hands and knees and began to crawl towards them.

Splat!

He closed his eyes briefly in sheer disgust as he moved his hand from the pile of puke. Wiping his hand on the back of his pants he continued onwards. As he approached, his panic began to lessen as he saw the movements of their shallow breathing. They were alive, for now.

What had happened? Where the hell where they? Ah yes. Now he remembered.

Star fleet had ordered the Enterprise to observe a trading ring at an outpost near the neutral zone. There had been rumor of some less than legal trading going on within the ring, and they had been ordered to capture the offending smugglers. Identifying the smugglers had been quite easy, detaining them… not so much.

The smugglers escaped into neutral space; however, the Enterprise managed to track them all the way to the Beta Quadrant to a small planet on the outskirts of the galaxy called Terran. A landing party was assembled and their mission was simple; Captain's orders "get in, grab 'em and go".

Obviously things did not go quite that smoothly.


	2. Chapter 2

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Chapter 1

---Bones---

"Bones?"

His head was throbbing. _What happened? Had Jim taken him drinking again? Ugg… note to self: never again._

If Bones thought it couldn't get any worse, he was wrong. Someone was shaking him; pain seared throughout his head.

"Bones! Wake up, Bones!"

"Damn it, Jim! Get off me!" The doctor pushed his friend and captain away before he managed to make his head explode.

He began to massage his temples as he sat back against the wall, taking in his surroundings. The dingy walls and stale air made him want to retch, or maybe that too was from the headache. Investigating his head a little closer he found dried blood caked in his hair near a vengeful welt. A quick scan of his companions proved that they were in much the same condition. Out of habit he reached for his med kit, only to find it absent from his side.

"Where the Hell are we?"

"I can't say I know, Bones. All I know is we are locked in. Scotty here has been looking in to breaking us out, but the lock is old school, archaic- just really thick bars and some kind of a lock. In short, we're stuck here."

Dr. McCoy sat there confused for a moment, "Bars? What is this, the dark ages?"

Jim turned towards Scotty, "Any luck, Mr. Scott?"

"I'm sorry, Captain. Give me some tools to work with and maybe I could do somethin' but honestly this breakin' out of a prison cell is not my area of expertise."

"Well we need ideas. There's no telling…" Jim paused. "Jim?" Bones stared at him, eyebrow raised in query.

"Shhh! Listen."

Off in the distance the shuffling of feat could be heard followed by some imperceptible mumblings. Someone was coming! The group stilled, trying to discern whether the company was for them. The shuffling stopped briefly, but was quickly followed by the sound of jangling keys as someone opened a door into the room.

Suddenly, a short scrawny man with bugged eyes came bursting into view from the other side of the bars. "See, Sir! I told you they were awake now!" He was followed by several others all crowding around to see the 'exhibit'.

"Yes, Peeps. I can see that," a deep voice rumbled out from the shadows on the other side of the room.

Captain Kirk stood and walked up to the bars as the mysterious man approached. He was a tall muscley man, well over six feet, with black hair that fell across the left side of his face covering his eye, but not covering enough to hide the long scar running down his cheek.

"I'm Captain James T. Kirk of the U.S.S. Enterprise, and just who the hell are you?"

Bones started massaging his temples again. _Way to be diplomatic, Jim._ _You are going to be the death of me._

"Good Afternoon, Captain Kirk. I hope you are enjoying your stay thus far."

"Yeah, it's _real_ lovely, but we really should be going. You should come with us. I know of a nice place that you just have to see; we keep the brig of the Enterprise in top shape," Kirk responded back sarcastically.

The dark man grinned back, "Now now, Captain. There's no rush. My men have just travelled a long way, as have yours. I'm sure you can fit a small break into your busy schedule. Besides, Captain, you are hardly in any position to be giving orders."

"Who the hell are you? Why are you keeping us here?"

"I'm called Sylar. However, while you are here you may refer to me as Majesty or My Lord Sylar, something like that. Feel free to be creative." He smirked back at them, his eye twinkling with mirth.

"King of bastards," Bones whispered quietly to himself. Scotty caught the remark and gave a soft chuckle in return.

"I am the leader of the trading ring you disrupted. You're persistence in tracking us has proved quite annoying. I'm afraid I had to put an end to it."

"So you're the smuggler we've been following all this way? Really?" Kirk looked back at him incredulously.

Sylar chuckled at his look, "Smuggler is such a harsh word! We prefer to be thought of as opportunists."

"But I thought we were space bandits!" Sylar threw a dark glance in offender's direction. "Shut up, Peeps," was heard in a series of violent whispers. The small group shifted uneasily, and a tall hairy man-creature took the liberty of giving Peeps a good whack to the head.

"I'm kind of disappointed. Honestly, I thought you'd look… I don't know… prettier?"

Sylar scowled. "You'd better mind your manners, _Captain_," he spat. "You are in my home now, and I call all the shots. I could certainly make your stay far more unpleasant than it already is."

"If we annoy you so much why not just put an end to it? Finish us off?"

"Captain!" Bones heard Scotty protest. "Jim! What are you trying to do?"

"I'll repeat. Why are you keeping us here?"

"I'm keeping you here because I hate waste, and to kill you now would be such a waste. I'm sure there is much I could learn from you, Captain. Information- codes, passwords, technology; you will give them all to me in time."

"And if I don't help you?" Kirk frowned back at his captor.

"Then you and your friends will pay the price for each defiance against me. Know this; I have many ways to make a man talk. Take Patches here for example," he gestured back to one of his lackeys- a tall lanky man with tattoos stretching up his arms all the way up to the skin on his bald head. His eyes peered back at them like marbles through the ink on his skin. Patches pulled a large knife from his belt and grinned.

"Can you guess how he earned his name," Sylar asked.

"It's because that's what you'll become when he is finished with you."

The three Starfleet officers stared on in silent horror. Sylar smiled at them and switching to a jovial voice said, "Where are my manners? You've all been out cold for almost two days! I'm sure you're famished by now. Patches!"

"Yes sir!"

"Bring these gentlemen something to eat!" and with one last large smile he turned and marched out of the room.

"Aw man! Why do I have to feed the stupid Earthers? Next thing you know I'll be scrubbin' the floors of their cell and fetching them some pillows," Patches whined as they all began to file out of the room.

Syler's voice boomed from down the hall, "I don't care who does it, just get it done!"

"Just make Keys do it," another voice chimed in. "Yeah whatever," was the reply before the words became imperceptible as they continued on out of hearing range.

Bones looked up from his spot on the wall, "Do I even _want_ to know how someone gets the name Keys?"

**To be continued…**

**I hope I managed to pull this chapter off. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be. I wanted it to be serious but with lots of light hearted fun mashed in! ;)**

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	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

---Kira---

It was a warm, beautiful day with hardly a cloud in the sky. The breeze toyed with the tall grass, swaying gracefully across the rolling hills. Bluebonnets cascaded over the field, covering the hills in blankets of blues, whites and greens. It was a stunningly beautiful spring day.

A woman sat with her feet tucked up under her on soft purple picnic blanket in the midst of the field; the tall grass almost completely obscuring her from view. She had a book lying open in her lap which was currently being neglected to greet the handsome man who just sat down beside her. She smiled at him as he gently kissed her cheek.

A young girl frolicked through the grass, laughing, and every so often bent down to pluck up another flower, a red one, for her collection only to drop a few in the process. The two parents smiled her antics, and watched on as she continued to play.

"Kira," her mother called out to her, beckoning her closer with a warm smile.

"Mommy," the girl called out in response and raced up to the picnic blanket, presenting the makeshift bouquet in offering. However, the flowers fell short of her mother's hands and dropped to the ground. It became instantly dark as the clouds overhead became sinister and foreboding, angrily booming out their displeasure.

She was alone! Panicking, the girl raced around crying for them, "Mommy! Daddy!" At the snap of a twig, she spun around only to confront the towering form of a strange dark man with a long terrifying scar running down across his eye.

She screamed!

**BAM BAM BAM **

A young woman bolted awake, her hand jerking to her mouth in an effort to help hold back a silenced scream. Her heart was racing as she tried to separate her dream from reality.

**BAM BAM BAM **

"Hey! Get up! You've got work to do," called a voice from behind the door to her tiny room. What had been thunder in her dream she now recognized as the banging on her door.

"Um… yes! I'll be right out," she stuttered back.

As her bare feet hit the cold damp floor she took a few calming breaths to sooth her racing heart. _Why did I have that dream? I haven't dreamt of home in ages._

Shaking off the last remnants of her dream she stepped out of bed quickly yanking off her night dress. She put on a pair of baggy worn out cargo pants and a black tank top, and wrapped a large brown scarf around her shoulders for some warmth tucking the excess over her head as a hood to somewhat conceal her long brown hair. Sitting back on the bed she hastily put on some shoes and hustled out of her room.

As she wandered into the common room she was ushered forward with a, "Hey Keys!"

"Patches. What is it you wanted me to do?" She asked.

"Sylar's got some new guests who will be hanging about for a bit. They're your problem now. Go grab some food from Chef. Oh and Sylar wants them around for a bit so you might want to bring some bandages too," Patches shoved a ring of keys in her hand and began walking away.

"Bandages? You guys didn't rough them up too badly did you? I'm not a doctor you know!" she fiddled a bit with the key ring to help conceal her anxiety.

"Just the usual, Keys. I'm sure they'll be fine." Patches dismissed her concern casually.

She frowned at him, "Dead _is_ the usual." Patches didn't respond. He just waved her off and left.

_I have a bad feeling about this._

---

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	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3

---Bones---

After our captors left I took stock of our injuries while Jim tried to talk strategy. Needless to say none of us were very useful; we had absolutely nothing to work with.

"There has to be a way out of this situation," Jim said absently as he once again observed the bars.

"Captain, if we could manage to get a hold of that key ring they were carryin' then it would be no trouble at all. I'd wager they have keys for this entire place there," Scotty offered.

"And just how do you expect to get them? When they come back just say, 'Oh! Could we have the keys please, and while you're at it could you get me a sandwich as well? Thanks!' We are hostages here. They are not going to just hand them to us on a silver platter, Scotty." I was pessimistic at best at where this conversation was headed.

"Maybe they won't hand the keys over, but if we could get one of them close enough we could knock him out and take them."

"Jim, even if we did manage to get a guard stupid enough for this plan to work, what are we supposed to do if we did escape? We have no idea what this complex even looks like, not to mention we have no way to contact the Enterprise once we got out."

We went silent as once again as we heard the jangling of keys and the click of the lock to the outer door. I could hear the soft clanking of dishes, and sure enough a moment later a hooded woman walked into view carrying a large tray with several dishes on it.

We all watched in silence as she placed the trey of dishes, as well as a bag that had been slung across her shoulder, on a nearby desk and proceeded to flick on several lanterns placed throughout the room.

With light now flooding the previously dim room I was able to get a look at her face behind the hood.

_She has brown eyes._

She was human, or at least humanoid. I couldn't know for sure without my tricorder. She had an attractive face and I could see tendrils of brown hair peeking out from underneath her hood. She was pretty, I suppose, not a supermodel by any means, but the fact that she had breasts was enough to activate Jim's girl radar and switch him from captain mode to full out flirt mode. It wouldn't take long before…

"Hey there, Beautiful! What's a girl like you doing in a place like this?"

_Ah! There it is! _The first of the corny pickup lines had begun.

She looked at Jim skeptically for a moment then retrieved the trey she brought from off of the desk. "I don't think you are going to like me as much when you see what I've brought you to eat," she eventually replied as she place the trey on the floor and carefully pushed it under a small gap under the bars.

I reached for the trey and pulled it in the rest of the way, examining the contents.

_She's right. It looks terrible. _

There was three bowls filled with some kind of sloppy purple soup- it was slimy and chunky all at once.

_Oh joy!_

It was accompanied by a large speckled yellow root of some kind, and a canteen, set on its side so as to fit under the bars.

"You should have spared us and left the lights off," I said.

She was silent for a moment as if deciding whether she should speak.

"I would have but I wanted to see what I was doing… and what you were doing."

She turned to her bag and began rifling through it "You'll just have to deal with it because it seems we are now stuck with each other, as I have been declared your new babysitter."

Jim ripped off a hunk from the root, the safest looking thing on the trey and took a bite. "Ugg!" He spit it back out, "must be an… acquired taste."

"Nope!" I could hear the smile in her voice from here. "It just tastes like crap- nothing more, nothing less."

From her bag she retrieved a large roll of fresh bandages, a clean rag and a small jar full of some kind of salve which she quickly pushed under the bars as well.

"Here, you can use these to treat your wounds."

Jim flashed his most charming smile at her. "I feel a bit weak. Couldn't you come in here and help me out, sweetheart?" Jim asked his voice filled with innuendo.

"No," she was abrupt. "I'm your warden, not your doctor; nor am I 'stupid enough' to come in there with you." She was frowning at them.

_Damn, she heard us._

She walked back to the desk off to the side of the room and settled into the chair behind it. Pulling a laptop out of her pack she proceeded to ignore them and began to type away at the keys.

Silence filled the room while I examined the supplies she had provided me. There was no way they would be remotely sufficient.

"Well, I am a doctor and this is not going to be enough to fix us up. If I could just have my tricorder…" I trailed off in suggestion.

She heaved a soft sigh and looked up at them over the computer screen. "Look that's the best I can do, so you'll just have to make do."

_Infernal woman!!!_

The next half hour or so continued on in relative silence as I attempted to care for all our wounds with the feeble, primitive supplies provided to me. It was frustrating to know that I could have us in perfect health in less than half the time if we were on the Enterprise.

I glanced up at our keeper once again. She seemed to be deep in thought as she typed away at the keyboard; besides a few grumbled complaints from Jim as I patched him up, that was the only noise to be heard.

It was only a matter of time before Jim got bored with the silence.

"They called you Keys. Is that right?"

She glanced up briefly in his direction before continuing on with her work. After several moments of thought she replied with a soft, "yes."

"That's a strange name. Who names their kid Keys?" I jabbed my finger into one of his wounds. "Ouch!"

_Honestly, Jim needs to learn some tact._

She didn't look up. "It's not my real name."

"Ah! So what's your name?"

She looked up this time, brow furrowed. "Why?"

"Huh?" Jim looked very confused.

"Why do you want to know my name?"

"I don't know. Just curious I guess."

"Nobody asks for names here. And nobody goes by their real name either."

"Why not?" Scotty asked.

"That's just the way things are. I guess it's kind of an unspoken rule. This is a place where undesirables from all over the galaxy come to disappear."

I had finished bandaging Jim's wounds and I just sat and watched her. She had a strange expression on her face; one that I was having trouble placing. She looked almost sad.

_Does she regret becoming a smuggler? Something is off about her. She doesn't seem to have a place here; it doesn't feel like she belongs. But if that is the case… why is she here?_

I decided to voice some of my confusion. "What about you? Are you trying to disappear?"

She didn't answer me, but she looked pained. After a while, she looked away and ran a hand through her hair as it fell in front of her face and then began rubbing at her temple. I heard her whisper something under her breath that sounded a lot like "Why am I talking to you?"

With her hair in the way I couldn't get a good look at her face, but I had the feeling that she was on the verge of tears.

"Are you… alright?" I asked.

She looked at me again and really studied me for a few moments. "You are the strangest people that Sylar has ever brought here. What did you do?"

"We were ordered to apprehend Sylar and put an end to his smuggling operation. He just got the jump on us first." Kirk shrugged.

"Sylar doesn't take prisoners. Not unless they have something he wants. You are obviously not smugglers are you bounty hunters? What could he possibly want from the likes of you?"

"I guess that's what we get for being a part of Starfleet" I answered.

"Starfleet!" She stood up abruptly, upsetting the lamp on the desk and it plummeted to the floor. The shadows covered up the brief glance I caught of her surprised expression and all I could see was her silhouette created by the lights behind her.

I could see her fists clench for a moment before she slammed the screen closed on her laptop. She grabbed it up and rushed out of the room.

I was surprised at her response and was only vaguely aware of Scotty's voice from behind me, "What was that all about?"

_What was that about indeed?_

At that moment Jim had an epiphany, "Hey! She never told me her name!"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4

---Kira---

My heart was racing as I rushed down the hallway.

_Starfleet. They're from Starfleet._

I forced myself to stop running and I stood at the end of the long hallway at the verge of the stairs catching my breath. All of the sudden it occurred to me just what I had done.

"Crap!"

_Idiot! Why did I run away! I hope Sylar is in a good mood because if he finds out I'm totally in for it. Oh well. There is no way I'm going back there right now._

I decided to detour to the surveillance room to cover my behind. I went up the stairs and down several hallways before I got there; by that time I was already feeling more in control of my emotions.

"Peeps?" I called out as I entered.

The surveillance room was dark as usual with a lineup of 10 screens providing the only light in the room as they switched between all the different cameras in the complex. All I could see was the silhouette of a figure sitting in front of the screens.

"That was quite a scene you made in the cells. You alright?"

"You really do see everything, don't you?" It was a rhetorical question. Of course he saw everything. The bug eyed little creep had eyes like a hawk and a nose bigger than the galaxy itself. He earned his nickname well.

"You mind keeping an eye on them from here? I… just needed to get away for a bit."

"You're not going soft on them are ya?"

My breath caught in my throat for a second and I swallowed. "Of course not! You don't want to be in there with them anymore than I do. Come on! It's not like they are going to be any trouble."

He chuckled at me, "I suppose not. I'll watch them for now, but if Sylar catches you it's your hide not mine."

"Yeah. Thanks."

I really needed some time to think.

Not willing to risk being seen heading back to my room I headed for the back entrance instead.

The whole complex was built into a series of interconnected caves in the mountains. The walls were thick and there were only 3 ways in or out. The back entrance was more of an emergency escape than a door. Rocks surrounded the tiny entrance, making it impossible to see unless you knew where to look.

There was another reason it was left unguarded. It opened up into the swamp; a humid murky pit of mud that stretched on for miles. Trees grew densely out of the muck, their roots interweaving with each other out and above the mess like the mangrove trees I had once seen on earth as a child.

One tree stood out among the rest, it was immense, and must have been a couple of centuries old. It towered above the rest; a tangle of crooked branches climbing all the way to the heavens.

Stashing my laptop in the rocky entrance I skipped over some rocks like stepping stones, nimbly avoiding the sticky murk of the muddy waters, and on to a plot of land right under the tree.

The best spot on this horrid planet was here in this very tree, the canopy of the swamp trees below and the most amazing blanket of stars and planets twinkling above as if they were alive.

I often come up here to escape the complex for a while. I would climb as high as I dared and gaze up at the stars. Sometimes I would imagine which one was Earth.

I took a deep breath; the air was cool and crisp. My soul began to ease and the hand that seemed to be squeezing at my heart let up a bit.

Something big is about to happen. I am sure of it. I had become, perhaps not content, but accepting of my place here many years ago. There had never been much of a choice.

The fact of the matter is I am trapped here; no one escapes unless they are dead. That is the way things have always been here, and I have come to accept it. At least I thought I had.

I haven't bothered to think of home in years. Yet now all in only one day I've dreamt of it and now Sylar even brings back Starfleet officers!

My father had been a Starfleet officer… perhaps he still was. I had no way of knowing.

My display back there in the cell was embarrassing, but I couldn't help it! With my parents faces so fresh in my mind the mention of the Federation had shined a glimpse of hope right in my face- and it twisted at my heart like a knife. For a split second I had dared to dream of getting off this wretched planet, of seeing my family once again… I dreamed that I could be free.

But the crash back down to reality had come fast and hard. I knew better; there was no escape, no hope. When Sylar had first brought me here I had attempted several escapes. I failed, and the consequences were severe. I would not risk it again. It's just not worth the pain.

I suppose as far as kidnappings go things could have gone much worse. So long as I did as I was told, Sylar ensured my safety- no one could touch me.

Originally I was to be sold off as a slave with the rest of the missing ones. It was probably my first attempt at freedom that spared me that fate, I suppose.

My family and I had just relocated from Earth- my father had just been stationed in a small space colony as an enforcer. I was 7 at the time and I made sure that everyone knew that I did _not _want to go.

There had been an increase of thefts on other federation colonies in the quadrant and the Federation was upping security in precaution. The colony was so out of the way of the other incidents… no one anticipated the strike.

_We had only been there a couple of months…_

I was taken along with several others- women and children.

We were stashed in the brig of their ship; they had placed us 'in storage' until they could find a buyer. I wanted out and I wasn't about to wait around… I had an amazing talent with computers, so I hacked the keypad on the door and jettisoned away in an escape pod.

I didn't get very far before they caught up with me.

And they beat me, badly.

I don't remember much of what happened after they did. One minute I was in the pod and the next I woke up here on Terran, and I've been here ever since.

Since I had proven to have an affinity for computers they kept me and put me to work here with them.

There isn't a computer system in the complex that I haven't improved upon by now. I've fixed equipment, created consoles, designed computer programs to run systems and even computer viruses to destroy them.

They named me Keys because I type so fast.

I've never been proud of what I've had to do, but I'm alive. There's no escaping; I'm one of them now.

All I will ever be… is a stargazer.

**To be continued…**

**So there is most of the scoop on Kira. Thanks for the reviews guys! It's been really encouraging. Let me know what you think!**


	6. Chapter 6

**In this chapter I couldn't resist adding a quote from one of my favorite movies. Do you know which line it is and where it is from? Hmmm?**

Chapter 5

---Kira---

Feeling more like myself I slipped back into the complex and began sneaking back to the cell block. Unfortunately my luck wasn't about to improve anytime soon as the path I had chosen to get back just happened to go past a briefing room where Sylar was holding a meeting. I could hear their voices clearly out in the hallway.

_It sounds like they are having a pretty heated argument._

"…we've already lost a whole shipload of merch. Those Cardassian worms have doubled crossed us!"

Another voice piped in, "Yeah! If we don't do something now they'll ruin the whole bloody trade route in the Alpha Quadrant- that's one of our main operations!"

"We can't just sit here, Boss!"

"And what about those fleeters in the cells, Boss? Their friends are causing an awful ruckus planet side. If we don't act soon we'll be in for more some trouble."

"Enough!" The room went quiet. "Ubar. For now, go and round up some men to distract the Enterprise away from our hide out. I'll have Keys to work up something to get rid of them for good. In the mean time, our 'guests' are off limits. They are too useful to give up at this point."

An old wizened voice interrupted, "You should be rid of them now. No good will come of them being here."

Sylar glared at him, "Silence! I don't have time for this, old man!"

"I warn you, Sylar. You have let your doom in by the front door, but it will not depart that way!"

I jumped as he slammed his hands on the table, "You're out of line, old man. Stay out of my way."

"As for the rest of you, I want everyone on high alert. Those fleeters are causing more trouble than they are worth; make sure they don't find us. As for me, I will take care of the Cardassian threat. Until then, don't go forgetting that the prisoners are off limits. I will interrogate them myself. I don't want you all messing things up like the last time." He barked orders to the others in the room.

I snapped to attention as he stormed out of the briefing room. "Um…"

"What are you doing here?" He glowered down at me.

_Crap! He's not it a good mood. Think fast Kira!_

"I was just… coming to tell you that… the prisoners are secure and stable, sir!"

He looked off down the hall distractedly, "Good."

_Phew!!!_

"Keys. I'm off to the Alpha Quadrant for damage control for an undetermined time frame- I don't expect to be longer than a week. You are in charge of them while I am away. They had better be alive, or your fate here is uncertain. Understood?"

"Yes, Sir!"

"While you're at it, work on a program to get rid of the Enterprise- permanently. I don't care how."

"Right away, sir."

He looked down at me, "No more pathetic excuses either. Get back to your post."

He marched away quickly, and I ran back down to the cell block. I stopped in front of the door, and reached into my pocket for the keys.

My blood ran cold. _I left the keys on the table!_

Jerking the unlocked door open my panic turned to laughter as I surveyed the scene before me.

**I know this was a short chapter, but I promise the next one is coming soon! Hope you like it so far! I know there isn't much romance yet, but there will be. I promise!**


	7. Chapter 7

**To address a FAQ: I'd like to say first of all that I have not seen Heroes. However, it has been brought to my attention that Sylar is actually the name of Zach Quinto's character in the show. I wish I could claim cleverness in the aspect; however, in this case it was a complete (hilarious) accident. I'll probably have to thank Liz for putting the name subconsciously in my head because she is the only one of my friends who talks about Heroes. XD**

**Enjoy**

Chapter 6

---Bones---

_She left the keys on the table. _

This could be our only opportunity to escape. However, I couldn't blame her one bit when I heard her laughter upon her return. We must have looked like quite a sight.

We had removed our boots and thrown them at the legs of the desk, and somehow we actually succeeded in knocking the keys on to the floor.

She walked in to find Jim plastered against the bars and trying to fling our shirts, which we had tied together into something resembling a rope, at the keys in hopes of dragging them closer.

"I hope you know that I'm not giving those back," she observed the boots scattered across the room.

Our eyes locked for a moment and she tried to hold back and amused smile. She covered her smile with her hand. "And if you don't put those back on I'll confiscate them too."

Jim smirked, "Are you sure? I mean I could leave it off and we could go…"

I smacked him up the backside of his head. "Just put your shirt on, Jim."

After that things almost fell into a norm of sorts. Over the next couple of days she stayed with us around the clock, leaving only to bring us food and water and, I assume, to take care of any of her own needs. She even slept here, propped uncomfortably in the hard desk chair and the wall.

I was rather surprised when she explained that our "play time" with "the Boss" had been postponed, but I wasn't about to complain. The longer he took, the better our chances.

However, being under constant supervision with nothing to work with (besides the shirts on our backs) the extra time wasn't much use for escape plans.

_Or maybe it's not hopeless._ _She's kind._

She was caring, more like the girl next door than a member of a smuggling ring.

_Maybe… just maybe, we can appeal to her good side. _At that I had to roll my eyes at myself._ Dream on, Bones._

It was an unspoken agreement that we didn't talk about her breakdown from earlier. Never the less we somehow managed to maintain a friendly banter between the four of us despite our strange and rocky beginning.

"… I still don't know what happened to that beagle!" Scotty had recently been regaling her with stories.

She was working at her computer as usual, laughing.

I probably would have taken more time to enjoy the sound if I wasn't worried that things were taking an unexpected turn for the worse. I could tell, even without my tricorder, Jim had a fever. One of his cuts must have gotten infected and it was starting to take its toll.

"All right, all right. That's enough!" She laughed, wiping some tears away. She grabbed the keys off the table as she stood. "Hold that thought for a bit, I'll get you something to eat."

"Oh Joy," I remarked.

Her laughter followed her out of the room.

I looked over to Jim, "Feeling alright there?"

"Sure, never better." He was obviously lying through his teeth, but I didn't call him on it. "But I think I'm ready to get out of here."

"Do ya think the lass might help us?"

"I can't honestly say, but as far as I can see she's our only hope at this point. Unless the cavalry decides to come marching over the hill- like that's gonna happen."

"Don't be so negative, Bones…" Jim coughed and slumped down in his seat.

"Jim!"

"Is he alright, Doctor?"

"I'm fine, really," Kirk responded weakly.

"No you're not. You've got a fever, and it's only getting worse in this damn cold damp jail cell."

At that, the keys rattled in the doorway.

"Hey guys. I'm back and I brought something edible this time!" Keys called out as she closed the door behind her. She paused to look us, taking in the situation.

"Is he alright?" She looked to me in concern.

"No he's not. He needs medical attention. I can help him if you'd just let me have my med kit."

She bit her lip as she watched me, obviously torn between helping us and protocol. She hesitates, "I don't…"

"Please!" She watched me for a while, and frowned.

She sighed and pushed the trey of food into the cell. Picking the keys back up off the table where she had tossed them she bustled quickly out of the room.

Scotty looked at me, "Does that mean she'll help us?"

I shrugged.

It wasn't long before she was back with my med kit in her hands.

She hesitated a moment before pleading, "Please don't make me regret this." She set the kit on the ground and pushed it under.

I looked her straight in the eyes, "Thank you."

She nodded in response, but instead of retreating to the desk she stepped forward and held on to the bars.

I turned and proceeded to work on Jim.

Not long after I began the door slammed open- It was the thug called Patches.

"What the hell, Keys? Did you just give them some tech?"

"He's sick, Patches, and his friend is a doctor." She turned to confront him.

"Oh no! He's sick!" Patches mocked in a high pitched voice. "Who cares if he's sick?! They are prisoners not pets! You can't just give them tech whenever you feel like it!"

I almost had to laugh when I heard her growl, "It's a MED KIT! What's he going to do? Heal you to death? Honestly Patches, just back off. I'll take full responsibility if anything happens. In the mean time, _I _was given orders to make sure they are still alive when Sylar returns; I'm rather certain that that goes double for the bloody freakin' Captain." She poked angrily at his chest.

"And I'll have you know that I am not about to get a beating because one of you and your idiot goons thrashed them too hard! Understand?"

He wrinkled his nose at her in disgust, and ran his hand through his hair. "I get it! Whatever! But I'm tellin' the Boss when he's gets back."

"You do that."

I can't be certain, but I'm pretty sure he called her a nasty name on the way out. She resumed her vigil at the bars when she was convinced he was gone.

After 3 hypo sprays, swabbing several wounds with antibiotic gel, and what seemed like days I sealed up his cuts, and with a final once over with the tricorder I breathed a sigh of relief to see he was stable.

"He's going to be fine." Scotty and Keys breathed a sigh of relief. "Is it alright if I fix up Scotty and me next?"

"You might as well. I'm already in trouble; a few more minutes aren't going to make it any worse... or any better."

I nodded to her in thanks and finished my job by fixing up Mr. Scott and then myself.

When I was finished I packed everything up and passed the kit back to her.

I smiled at her as I passed it back, "You had better take this, or else I might try to heal you to death."

"You could try." And she smiled back at me.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7

---Kira---

It was dark down in the cells with only the dim blue light from the firefly moss illuminating the room. I had turned off the lanterns for the night; not that you would know it was night if you didn't have a clock. Without windows time became rather fluid inside of the complex.

I flipped on my laptop and checked the time; it was 2 am and I was covered in a cold sweat.

_Another nightmare… it feels like I never get any sleep anymore._

I shouldn't even be sleeping. A week was already over and Sylar could be back any day now and I still haven't worked up a virus to take out the Enterprise.

_It shouldn't take this long. I've done it before, but… I just keep putting it off. _

Fragments of my nightmare drifted back to me in the silence.

I was standing alone on the bridge of the Enterprise; I don't know how I knew I was on the Enterprise since I had never been there, but I was certain that's where I was- it was burning!

The fire was consuming the ship as I watched it crash towards Terran on a giant view screen.

I ran!

I tripped over something large and bulky as I tried to escape. Suddenly I was surrounded by bodies scattered all about the floor everywhere I looked. They were faces I recognized- faces of people I had met. Faces of people I had watched Sylar kill.

And there, at my feet, I saw them: Jim, Bones and Scotty.

It was the site of their lifeless eyes that had jolted me awake. It was this dream that truly made me realize…

_I don't want them to die._

My sight went a bit blurry as I blinked back some tears.

_Don't cry! You promised yourself you wouldn't cry any more._

"Bad dream?" I heard a voice whisper from across the room- it was the doctor.

"It's nothing." I whispered back. Placing my hands on the keyboard I stared at the blank screen indecisively. "I should be working anyways."

"Ah. No rest for the weary, huh?"

I shrugged, "I get enough."

He raised an eyebrow at me. "You can't lie to a doctor, darling. Enough to survive is hardly worth calling enough."

"I'm used to it."

"You shouldn't have to be."

I shrugged at him again, "That's a sweet sentiment, but I'm used to a lot of things that I shouldn't 'have to be', that hardly changes things. I hate to break it to you, but life isn't fair."

"You don't have to tell me. If life were fair I wouldn't be gallivanting off into space and courting death at every turn."

Propping my head on my hand, I leaned on the desk. "What could be so bad that you had no choice but to face the big bad terrors of space?"

"My ex-wife," he said wryly.

"Could one woman truly be as bad as you say?"

"You better believe it!" I couldn't help but laugh softly.

We spent the next couple of hours talking about everything and nothing at all. Well… he did most of the talking.

He told me stories about Georgia, mint juleps and peach cobbler. I laughed at his tales of his days spent in med school.

Later on he told me a bit of his separation, then divorce, and of his little girl Joanna.

"It's just hard to believe that someone I once trusted so much could just betray me like that, you know?"

I watched him silently for a moment. "I can't say that I do."

He looked back at me sadly. "If you were anyone else I would think that was a good thing."

"If I were anyone else, you'd probably be right."

He frowned deeply, "And now here I am, just as I predicted, in a cell probably harboring a million parasites, about to be tormented and probably killed. I should have just moved to Mars."

"I'm glad you didn't." It was selfish of me, but for some reason I couldn't help saying it.

He looked like he was about to say something, but the chime of my comm interrupted.

"Keys?"

I sighed, "What is it, Ubar?"

"We just received word from Sylar. He'll be in later today. Be ready."

I locked eyes with Bones, "Got it."

Silence permeated the room for a while after that, and I couldn't meet his eyes any more.

"You should get some sleep. I've got work to do."

He just nodded at me and rolled onto his side away from me.

There wasn't much time left; I knew what I had to do. I began typing faster than I had ever done in my life.

_I have a plan!_

**This was a very hard chapter to write. There is just too much in between stuff to get from one point to another in my head easily. Here's to some action in the future!**


	9. Chapter 9

**For the most part I wanted each chapter to be in one person's point of view. However, since this is such an integral part of the story and I don't want to do a bunch of short chapters. So since I'm feeling inspired (and nice) I'm going to make this one long chapter and switch between viewpoints. **

Chapter 8

---Bones---

I awoke sharply to a large clatter of several things being dropped on to the table.

"Wake up."

I approached the bars to see Keys overturning her bag, dumping its contents onto the table. She proceeded to shove some small loaves of bread in as well as the canteen.

"What's going on?" Jim asked.

"There isn't much time." She hurried over to the cell door and I watched as she pulled the keys from her pocket and unlocked the cell door; it swung open with a loud clang.

"Sylar's shuttle will be docking soon. You've got about 10 minutes."

She pulled a phaser out of the holster on her belt and passed it to Jim. Bending down, she pulled a small dagger out of a sheath strapped to her calf and passed it to Scotty.

"Those are the only weapons I have. Make it work."

She then looked to me, "Come here."

I followed her to the desk and she held out a small round handheld device. She pressed a small button on the side and a hologram of the complex hovered above it.

"This is a map of the entire complex. I've plotted our current point- it's the green dot over here. If you follow the path I've indicated you'll find your way to the back door, that's the blue dot there. Outside you'll end up in the marshes… someone should be waiting for you."

She passed me the holomap and the bag of food. "If something goes wrong and nobody is there to meet you then there is a swamp cruiser hidden behind some large rocks to the left of the entrance- take it."

"Thanks. This…"

"There's no time for that, just go!" She pushed us out the door. "Follow this hallway up the stairs at the end and take a left. You'll have to use the map from there on. Now go!"

"Wait! You're coming with us, right?" I asked in confusion. This was a lot to process and honesty I was still a little groggy from lack of sleep.

"No" She smiled wryly at me.

Scotty grabbed her wrist and tried to pull her out with us. "You've got to come with us, Lass. They won't be forgiving when they find out what ya did."

"And you'll never make it out if I do. Someone's got to stay behind to cover your tracks." She detangled her hand from Scotty's grip. "Now go!"

"You can't be serious" I stared at her incredulously.

"GO!" She slammed the door shut and I heard the click from the latch as she locked it from the inside.

"Wait!"

I reached towards the door, but my hand was stilled by Jim. He turned to us looking determined, "Let's not waste her sacrifice. We can do more good for her if we hurry. Let's go."

---Kira---

I took a moment to steady my breathing. There was no going back now.

_It's time to finish this._

I pulled out my comm. "How are things going, Peeps?"

"Good. The shuttle should be landing in a few minutes. I got word from the boss that he wants to see the prisoners immediately, so you better be ready for his arrival."

"Yeah. I'll be ready."

_Good. Peeps is still out by the landing pad. That means that the surveillance room is still empty._

My whole plan revolved around the fact that right now everyone is waiting for the shuttle to arrive.

I had to work fast. I would only have a couple of minutes before Peeps would get back.

Sitting down at my computer I hacked into the surveillance system. Earlier this morning I had recorded a short time laps from each of the camera's that they would have to pass to get to the exit. It was a simple matter of setting the screens to play that footage rather than the current view of the hallway; making them, by all accounts, invisible for a good 30 minutes.

It wasn't even a challenge. I knew how to work each system in the complex by heart; I had practically made this place.

_Now all I need to do is arrange for a pick up service._

---Spock---

"Captains log. We have been circling the planet Terran for a week now, with no sign of Captain Kirk, Dr. McCoy or Mr. Scott, however, the bodies of second away team were found and retrieved; appropriate measures to contact their families have been made. The other away teams have been unsuccessful in their attempts to locate our missing crew members. All logical assumptions lead me to believe that they have been killed, though I hesitate to leave without finding irrefutable evidence of their death. However, the choice has been taken from me as Starfleet has just ordered that I abort the mission and return to the fleet for debriefing. I have no choice but to…"

"Captain" Nyota was calling for my attention from her post.

"Yes, Lieutenant?"

She turned towards me, "I'm receiving a transmission from the planet's surface, sir."

"Who is it from?"

"I'm not sure, sir, in fact the message is very brief- just a set of coordinates."

I pondered this turn in events carefully before responding, "Lieutenant. Arrange for an away team to meet me in the transporter room immediately. Mr. Sulu you have the con."

"Captain, are you sure it's safe? It could be a trap," Sulu questioned.

"There is a high probability; however, we cannot afford to ignore this opportunity."

I hurried off the bridge and to the transporter room. I could only hope that this was a message from Jim and not a trap.

---Bones---

We raced down the hallways as fast and as quiet as we could.

Being out of the cell for the first time I finally began to get a grip on where we actually where. The complex, as they call it, is not an actual building, but a series of caves and tunnels that had be excavated and modeled into one large winding hideout; the perfect place to get lost, with plenty of ways to escape should the need arise- that is, if you know where you are going.

The map that our benevolent captor, whom I _still_ did not know her real name, made navigating the tunnels a breeze; it worked as a compass of sorts and pointed the way towards the exit.

I could tell when we were getting closer to the outside. The built in lights became sparse and the tunnel started to squeeze a little tighter.

Finally, I could see light- real light! I felt a breeze slip through the opening before us. It was a God send compared to the stale, putrid air that we had been forced to breath for the past… _I'm not even sure how long we have been here._

"Finally!" I heard Scotty's joyous declare as he stepped out into freedom before me. Frankly, I couldn't agree more!

I was a little shocked once out in the open to find a phaser in my face.

It didn't linger there, as both parties realized who they were staring down.

"Spock!" "Captain!" They had both exclaimed at the same time.

"You're timing is impeccable as usual, Commander!" Jim slapped Spock jovially on the shoulder.

"How did you find us?" I asked.

Spock looked in my direction, "We received a transmission approximately 5 minutes ago with our current coordinates. I assembled a team to come investigate the situation as there was a possibility that it was you trying to contact us."

"Well, it wasn't us." Jim made eye contact with me.

"She said that someone would be waiting- it must have been her…" I suggested.

Jim nodded at me. "We had better hurry! We have a rather large debt to repay." He turned to Spock, "Mr. Spock! We are going to need a bigger team. It's time we give these smugglers a taste of there own medicine."

"Captain, that is highly illogical. Retreat and regroup would be the best course of action, and Starfleet has ordered the Enterprise to return to Earth for debriefing. Also, I have been analyzing the tunnels before you arrived, and to be able to pull off any attempt at capturing the smugglers we would have to know where each tunnel leads and cover every point of escape- there could be hundreds."

"Actually… there are only three!" Jim smiled and took the projector from my hands and held it up in front of his face.

"Come on, Spock. It's time to set the rat traps!" he grinned.

_He's enjoying this way too much._


	10. Chapter 10

_Chapter 9_

---Kira---

I jumped at the pounding knock on the door. "Open the door!" I could hear Sylar demand from the entrance. I hadn't expected him to be here so soon!

_Deep breaths, Kira. Good! Now go get the door._

I unlocked the door and stepped out of the way as Sylar strode into the room with a whole entourage of lackeys. Once they had all crammed into the room I tried to slip out of the door silently only to run smack into a hard chest. Rubbing my nose I looked up- it was Patches.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"To the bathroom." I hissed back.

"It can wait." He shoved me callously back into the room.

I turned and stared at the backs of a good dozen people crowded in front of me and closed my eyes in despair.

My heart was pounding; trying to burst forth from its confines in my chest. It was amazing that I didn't just have a heart attack right now- what a shame.

Sylar peered into the cell with a smug grin on his face. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Captain. Please understand I am a very busy man."

I stifled the urge to laugh out loud. After I had contacted Starfleet I had enough time to manage one final bit of trickery. In their cell I installed a small holo-projector and set it up to look like the three unfortunate men were still there suffering in captivity.

Sylar couldn't tell the difference!

_Yet…_

I stood ramrod straight as I waited for the inevitable. It wouldn't be long before the he realized that the unresponsive prisoners were simply computerized visions.

He frowned as they seemingly ignored his presence. "Ubar," he summoned. "Get them out."

Ubar pulled a set of keys off of his belt and opened the cell door. He paused inside the cell in confusion when they disappeared before his eyes.

Sylar, however, was not confused even for a moment. I watched his body become tense and rigid, and his hands clench tight at the sight of the image projected off of Ubar's back.

He turned towards me, his lips pursed in a tight lipped frown, eyebrows furrowed in rage.

"Where… are… they?" he enunciated each word slowly and distinctly.

I tilted my head up towards him in a confidence I didn't know I had.

"Who?" I asked brazenly.

Pain seared across my face! I could already feel the spot where he struck cheek beginning to swell.

"You insolent wench!" I flinched as he grabbed me up by fistfuls of my shirt. "Where are they?"

I met his gaze in full defiance. "They are long gone by now."

He freed one of his hands and reached for his comm device. "Peeps! Give me a status report on the Enterprise."

There was a moment of silence, "It's gone, sir."

He held my gaze in a staring contest for a moment in disbelief.

"How did three officers get past each and every one of you?" He shouted at his lackeys.

I managed a raspy laugh, scoffing at his easy defeat after 18 years of harsh servitude. A few hours of planning and I had managed to get three Starfleet officers to safety right under his very nose. It baffles me how, even now, I couldn't manage to free _myself_ from his grasp.

"Bitch!" He made a deep guttural growl in the back of his throat at me as he grabbed at my neck. I gasped for breath and tried to claw his hands off as I struggled in mid air. Black spots swam in front of my eyes as my oxygen deprived body fought for air.

Before I could drift away into the sweet oblivion of unconsciousness he tossed me roughly to the floor. I lay there gasping for air like a fish out of water.

Sylar glowered down at me as he spoke to the others, "She's all yours to do with as you see fit. They sky is the limit… however… don't kill her. Not yet."

He hunched down in front of me on his legs and spoke with a promise of menace. "I will never let you escape… not even in death. You will live through each and every punishment I can think to inflict upon you, and soon you will see just how generous I have been to you up until now."

He hoisted me up back onto my feet and tossed me into the arms of Ubar- head of interrogation.

Sylar spoke one command as he walked from the room.

"Feed her to the Hyenas."

**Those were proverbial Hyenas, of course! Tell me what you think? Good? Bad? Unremarkable? Also, I just wanted to warn you now… I'm thinking about ending the story after this "smugglers saga" is over (in a few more chapters). I figured even though there wasn't romance it would make more sense to end it and continue on in a sequel story. What do you think?**


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry this took so long to get up, but my Internet was on the fritz all weekend.**

**I would like to point out that this is by far the most chapters I have ever managed to complete for a story I have written, and I am bound and determined to actually complete a fanfic for once. By the way, if you haven't watch any of the original movies I would recommend number 4. It's the best of all of them… and it's got whales!**

Chapter 10

---Bones---

I stood on the bridge of the enterprise impatiently, at attention, waiting for everything to shift into place before we could strike. Jim wasn't fairing much better as he prowled the deck like a caged lion- pacing back and forth in front of the view screen.

After transporting back to the ship, Jim dove into planning a final strike on Sylar's gang. Back in his 'natural habitat' Jim seemed more of a captain than ever.

The Enterprise had been moved back and hidden behind one of Terran's moons. If we had any luck left, then they would think that we had left and we could catch them by surprise.

With the help of Spock we analyzed the map and started positioning teams at each of the entrances. The plan was to send in some stealth and try and seize the surveillance room and weapons storage before we were detected. Then the squads would be given the signal to move in and intercept.

However, getting to this point of organization was taking longer than any of us were comfortable with. It had already been 20 minutes since our arrival onto the Enterprise, and each passing second of inaction was making me more anxious. The odds that she was alive were getting smaller by the second, and I didn't like it.

I ran my hand through my wet hair in a vain attempt to get it to dry faster. In a general consensus between Spock and any other crewmember we came across Jim, Scotty and I were forced to clean up while Jim's orders were being enacted.

Needless to say it was one of the shortest showers in my life. I certainly hadn't been able to enjoy it either, and after a week of no bathing I am pretty sure I should have. I certainly wasn't going to take the luxury for granted for quite a while.

Reveling in the comforts of home would have to wait till later.

"Sir! We have control of the surveillance room and squadrons are in position, Captain," I heard Chekov's thick accent explain. "And ready to move on your orders, Sir!"

"Do it," Jim ordered. He then turned to me and gestured to the turbo-lift. "Let's go."

Spock intercepted us before we got there. "Captain, it would be unwise for you to get involved considering the circumstances. It would be best if you and the doctor remained here and recuperate first."

"Don't be such a party pooper, Spock." He grinned and slapped him on the shoulder. "Like I'm going to miss this!"

It wasn't long before Jim and I were standing on the transporter pad for the second time that day. I could feel that queasy feeling in my stomach that always proceeded beaming down.

_Lord help me!_

Hopefully my luck would hold out today and I'd make it down to the planet's surface without my molecules getting scrambled.

_Is it too late to take a shuttle?_

I didn't have to wallow in dread for long; it was only a moment before I heard the command.

"Energize."

Down at the entrance things were hectic with officers scrambling about executing their orders.

I think Jim was a little upset at not being a part of the action, however, Spock did have a point about us needing to stay back, and we had both agreed to wait here to supervise all the captives as they were through.

There wasn't a doubt in my mind that Jim would find some insane way of making up for it sooner or later.

We listened in on the comm channel as the reports pored in, and after what seemed like years the first of the squads returned with captives a plenty. However, after 10 minutes since the teams started returning there was still no sign of Sylar or the girl.

"That's it! I'm going in!" Jim headed for the entrance.

"Wait!"

"Bones, I can't just stand here and watch anymore."

I sighed, "I know. That's why I'm coming too."

He grinned at me, "Let's go!"

I squinted into the darkness of the hallway as my eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. We rushed together down the hallway passing crewmates along the way, Jim leading us to some destination that only he could know. So I just followed him.

Somewhere further off down the hallway I could hear a bit of a ruckus. Jim must have heard it too because he seemed to zero in on the action and bee-line straight towards it.

Sure enough, the hallway lead to a room where several security guards where fighting with none other than Sylar himself.

True to form, Jim rushed into the fray. Dodging under an officer being flung backwards he caught him by surprise with well aimed punch to the jaw. I heard the resounding crack as I tended to my fallen crewmate.

"I must say, Captain. You have a lot of guts coming back here to face me." Sylar glared at him as they wrestled with each other. He pulled a twisting maneuver and overpowered Jim with sheer strength- pushing him to the floor.

Jim practically growled, "Well, you know what they say. No guts, no glory!"

He managed to toss him backwards and proceeded to nail him with several well aimed punches. "Besides, I wouldn't dare miss out on the chance to wipe that smug grin off your ugly mug."

Sylar pushed back and away from him and took a moment to wipe some blood off of his lower lip; he grinned the aforementioned smug grin.

"What makes you think you can?"

"… 'Cause I'm James Tiberius Kirk!" And he swooped in faster than I'd ever seen him move and knocked Sylar off of his feet- he slid across the floor, unconscious.

Once I was certain he was down for the count, I started checking out Jim's injuries; he was already starting to form a nice shiner, but he didn't give me a chance to do much.

"I'm fine… forget about it." He brushed my hands aside, "You go find Keys and make sure she's alright. I'm going to stay here and make sure he gets a special escort straight to the Enterprise; I'll follow after you when I'm finished."

"Alright." He was right. I needed to find her, and I needed to find her now!

I pulled out the map of the Complex, and chose the only place I could think to check. By now most of the Complex will have been searched, but they probably hadn't gotten to the cell block yet- the last place I saw her.

My feet propelled me deeper into the Complex, adrenaline pumping through my veins. I wasn't sure how I managed to keep up this crazy pace; perhaps it was the fear tugging at my heart. It's true. The very thought of what I would find when I found her was unsettling. With my over active imagination I could almost see her body lying still in a pool of blood.

I shook my head to dispel such morbid thoughts. For once, I wanted to be positive; if only because I desperately wanted to be wrong.

The cell door was before me and I grabbed at the handle.

"Damn it!" I yanked on the door quickly realizing it was locked. Grabbing my phaser I blasted the lock on the door and it swung open.

I hesitated in the doorway. Walking tentatively into the room I switched on a lantern hanging on a hook by the door. I couldn't see anyone, and the room was even more silent than I could ever remember… without the soft sound of her typing.

_Great! Now I'm starting to sound nostalgic. Somehow I've become a masochist._

I could see her computer still sitting open on the desk. It was rather small, so I managed to tuck it in to a free pouch in my med kit.

That was when I noticed.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw the slightest of movements. She was lying on the floor in the very cell we had once occupied.

She was alive, but unconscious- the only movement she made was that of her labored breathing.

Melting the lock with my phaser once again, I rushed to her side- checking her vitals with my tricorder.

I heaved a sigh of relief.

She was in bad shape with cuts and bruises everywhere. Her arm was visibly broken and I could tell by my scan that I few of her ribs were as well. She looked like hell warmed over; however, amazingly, nothing vital had been injured.

_She's going to be fine._

Granted, she would feel like utter crap, but I would have her fixed up in no time. I gave her a shot of pain killers before attempting to move her.

_Heaven knows she's going to need them._

I tapped at my communicator and gave my report. "Jim, I've found her down in the cells. I'm bringing her up now."

"Need any help?"

"No. I've got it."

Gently, I scooped her broken body up off the dingy floor and cradled her in my arms. She seemed very small at that moment, and I felt a surge of protectiveness for her.

She let out a small groan of protest at the pain of being moved and her eyes fluttered open.

"It's you…" I heard her sharp intake of breath as she cringed when my movements jarred one of her ribs.

"Yeah," I said quietly. It felt like if I talked any louder she would break. "Let's get you out of here."

I watched her eyes roll into the back of her head as she passed out once again.

**If all goes according to the plan in my head then the next chapter will be the last one for this story. I also promise to clue poor Bones in on her real name so he doesn't have to call her generic names.**

**Please review!!!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Yes I did take it easy on Bones in the last chapter, but to be honest I am ready to get everyone off of this rock and back on to the Enterprise. So now that all the character introduction crap is over we can get to the good stuff. ;)**

**This is the last chapter, but if you like what you've read I'm continuing it on with a sequel story called Star Tracer. Here's hoping I can keep the muses going! (Reviews help. ******** )**

Chapter 11

---Bones---

"You should have seen his face! He was all like…" Jim waved his arms animatedly as he reenacted his epic battle to Chekov and Scotty.

"He totally cried like a baby!" The story became more and more outrageous each time he told it, but I wasn't about to call him on it.

It had been a couple of days since we had left Terran, and our new "recruits" had settled into their new accommodations, though not without a fuss.

Honestly, it annoyed me to no end that they were here. After spending a whole week in that God forsaken place they considered a prison they were practically living the high life in the brig- it had better accommodations than almost the entire Complex combined.

Jim must have felt the same way because he went out of his way to make sure they were not done any favors as far as food went. In fact I'm pretty sure he managed to special order some Terran Swamp Beetles to celebrate their first meal. The memory of the gooey mushed up beetles made my stomach turn uncomfortably.

"I wouldn't want them to get homesick," was his only reply when I asked.

As for the rest of us, after some rest, a binge eating festival of 'real' food, and a few (maybe 10) precautionary inoculations Jim, Scotty, and I were on our way back to good health.

My other patient, on the other hand, was not doing quite so well. She has been in and out of consciousness since I brought her to Sick bay, in a matter of speaking. Truly she only wakes up for short periods of time, and then she is incoherent at best.

I suppose it's for the best. After several hours of grueling work mending bones and seaming up lacerations all she could really do is rest.

"… and I totally knocked him on his ass!"

BAM!

Startled, I was awakened from my thoughts by the sound of Jim slamming his fist down onto the table punctuated by the clatter of dishes. He was still so heatedly absorbed in his tale, a Cheshire grin smeared across his face, that he was hardly aware that his actions had upset the soup in my bowl right on to my uniform.

_Yep. Everything is back to normal._

I frowned, wiping at the mess with a napkin, "And on that note… I'm headed back to work."

Politely bowing out of the conversation I headed back to Sick bay. On my way in I briskly ignored a nurse in favor of changing first; striding right past her I disregarded her plea of "Dr. McCoy" and headed straight for my office.

Fortunately for my dignity I kept a spare uniform in my office, so I had no need to return to my quarters to change. After a quick swap into the unsoiled top I answered the knock at my door.

"Yes?"

"Dr. McCoy, the patient is awake, and she's very distressed."

"Distressed?"

As I followed the nurse to her room I heard quite a commotion. In fact, I'm not sure how I missed the racket before; I could hear loud, rather creative curses, in multiple languages even, coming from room I had placed her in.

I laughed out loud at the spectacle presented to me when I reached the room, and I propped myself against the doorway for a moment to watch the scene unfold.

_She's going to be just fine._

She was facing mostly away from me as she stood on top of the bed brandishing a food tray in one hand as a weapon. Her hair was tussled and flew around her wildly; her eyes darted around uncertainly at her surroundings as she tried to lash out with her makeshift weapon.

Her movements were severely limited, however, by the nurses clinging to her; two of them clinging to her legs and another trying to still her arms.

Deciding the nurses had suffered enough I decided to intervene.

I grabbed the wrist of her free hand and used my other hand to still the tray. She tensed and went completely still as she met my eyes.

"Easy now," I said to her with a smirk. Nodding towards the tray I chuckled, "you might take off somebody's nose with that thing."

She closed her eyes for a moment and I watched her visibly try to control her breathing. While she composed herself I plucked the tray from her hand and set it on a nearby table.

"You know, it's generally a good idea not to anger the nurses."

She took a moment to glare down at me at my remark. Briefly wetting her lips she managed to gasp out, "Where am I?"

"You are currently in a hospital room in the Sick bay of the U.S.S. Enterprise… standing on top of the bed." I stared up at her in amusement.

She smiled weakly at me. "Sorry, I don't know what came over me." She accepted my outstretched hands as I helped her to sit on the bed.

"Everything is just so different here," she explained as she took the time to fully examine her surroundings.

"Don't worry. I'm not about to let you live it down."

She slapped my chest lightly, "Jerk!"

I walked across the room and grabbed a tricorder and held it up for her inspection. "While I'm pretty sure you're fine… humor me."

"How did I get here?"

I grabbed the PADD off of the table by her bed and transferred the tricorder data to her record.

Shrugging in response to her question I explained, "We came back. After all the trouble Sylar caused there was no way Jim was going to run away."

"How do you feel?" I asked.

"Tired… and I ache all over."

"Well it probably didn't help that you decided to play Joan of Arc first thing, but everything checks out. As for the pain…" I pulled out a hypo spray.

"Ouch!" She frowned and rubbed at her neck. "Ye-ah. That helped a lot."

Adding some more to her chart I noted the name at the top- Keys. I still didn't know her real name, but after all she had been through lately I didn't want to pester her about it just yet.

_You're going soft, Bones._

I scowled at my train of thought. "You're doing fine, but you could really use more rest. Just a moment," I stood up and passed her the PADD.

"Hold on to this for me."

I walked into my office and contacted Jim. "Do we have somewhere to keep her?"

"Yeah. I had a room fixed up for her. Ask Scotty; he's been helping get it ready. I'd come myself, but I've got, you know, _captain things_."

"You're with a girl aren't you?" I deadpanned.

"Ah… yeah."

"Fine. I'll ask Scotty to come."

After finishing the arrangements I headed back to the hospital room. She was fiddling with the PADD, but looked up as I came in.

"Hey." She smiled softly at me.

"Hey! I managed to get you a room." Scotty came in at that point. "Impeccable timing, Mr. Scott."

"Now, Scotty here is going to take you to your quarters and I want you to rest for the rest of the day. Overdo it and I'll sedate you like I should have done earlier."

"I understand." She offered the PADD back to me and slid off the bed.

"Come on, Lassie. You heard the doctor." Scotty winked at her and guided her out of the room.

Heading back into my office I dropped down in my chair. Typing a few last minute notes I was prepared to save her file to the database and call it a day when I noticed it…

Earlier when she had been typing on the pad she had erased 'Keys' from the patients name line.

I read it with a smile and put the PADD away.

"Kira Marie Watson"

The End!

**Thanks for reading my story! I'm so proud. This is the first story I have ever completed! If you've liked what you read then please look forward to the sequel "Star Tracer." I promise lots more fluff. I just needed to get the origin story out of the way.**

**Review and thanks!!!**


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